Weekend Edition

Topics from the Most Recent Show: Saturday | Sunday

Saturday

• Years After His Murder, Congo Leader Stirs Emotion
  A little more than six months after he took office in 1960, Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of Congo, was murdered under a tree in a remote province. Today, the Congolese still have a hot and cold relationship with their national hero.
• The Woman Behind 'The Great Man'
  Kate Christensen won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for her novel, <em>The Great Man</em>, a story about three charismatic older women left behind when a larger-than-life artist dies. Christensen is only the fifth woman to receive the award.
• Charlie Brown: Authenticity and Honesty
  Charlie Brown was born in 1950, at a time of cautious optimism about America's global role after World War II, and about the average guy's day-to-day prospects back in the states.
• Simone de Beauvoir Centenary Celebrated
  Simone de Beauvoir is one of the towering figures of 20th century France. While she has perhaps slipped into the shadows of American memory, her pioneering work, <em>The Second Sex</em>, is still regarded as one of the cornerstones of modern feminist thinking.
• Civil War Collector Killed by Antique Shell
  The American Civil War has claimed another casualty. Sam White, a memorabilia collector, found a Civil War-era shell, took it to his Virginia home and it detonated in his driveway.
• Neil Young Honored with Namesake Spider
  A biologist at East Carolina University has named a new species of trapdoor spider after rocker Neil Young.
• Patent Judgments Questioned in Appointment Flap
  As many as two-thirds of United States patent-law judges may have have been appointed in a way that violates the Constitution.
• Phliadelphia Police Suffer Loss, Scrutiny
  Police in Philadelphia are having an especially tough week. First, one of their officers was fatally shot while responding to an armed robbery. Then, in an unrelated incident, three other officers were caught on videotape beating three suspects.
• Seeing the Personal Side of the Mortgage Crisis
  Who should, or should not, be bailed out by the federal government in the subprime mortgage debacle? Do homeowners need help, or do they need to live with the consequences of their actions?
• Acceptance Still Elusive for Committed Polygamists
  A "Polygamy Town Hall Meeting" in Utah offers the opportunity to reflect on what the Texas raid on an Arizona/Utah-based polygamist group says about polygamy's place in society today.
• Week in Review: Obama Surges Forward
  This week presidential hopeful Barack Obama made significant progress in his bid to be the Democratic nominee. Also this week, President Bush promised to veto a farm bill and a housing aid bill.
• Lakers Look Strong as Kobe Bryant Wins NBA MVP
  The Los Angeles Lakers are up 2-1 against the Utah Jazz in the NBA conference semi-finals. And Lakers' star Kobe Bryant has just been named the the league's Most Valuable Player.
• Oprah's Closet Now Open to Fans
  A newly opened store in Chicago allows Oprah Winfrey fans to take their adoration to a whole new level. Now they can buy her cast-off clothes and shoes.
• Norwegian Deep-Sea Divers Sue Government
  Former diver Bernie Schwerdtfeger talks about working 500 feet under the water off the coast of Norway, where he helped assemble oil rigs. Many former divers are complaining of health problems and are suing for damages.
• Economist Puts Economic Downturn in Perspective
  Many Americans are uneasy about the country's current economic instability. Economist Adam Posen talks about the possible length and severity of the current economic downturn, which some are already calling a recession.

Sunday

• University Creates Student Oasis in Egypt's Desert
  This summer, American University in Cairo is set to open a $400 million campus outside the country's capital. The 260-acre site uses environmentally conscious designs and extensive gardens to keep buildings cool during the day and warm at night.
• Injured U.S. Troops Battle Drug-Resistant Bacteria
  A highly drug-resistant strain of bacteria is complicating the recovery of hundreds of U.S. troops who served in Iraq. <em>Acinetobacter baumannii</em> initially was seen in field hospitals, and government officials say it has lead to a handful of troop deaths.
• Umm Kulthum: The Voice of Egypt
  She had the musical chops of Ella Fitzgerald, the public persona of Eleanor Roosevelt, and the audience of Elvis Presley. More than 30 years after Umm Kulthum's death, Egyptians young and old still celebrate the voice of their country's greatest singer.
• Higher Education in China Expanding
  China is in the midst of a building boom of colleges and universities. The country is attempting to improve the quality of these institutions and its world ranking.
• U.S. Universities No Longer Only Game in Town
  In the past few years there has been an increase in applications to American graduate schools but the rate of growth is slowing. Beth McMurtrie, international editor of the <em>Chronicle of Higher Education</em> talks with Liane Hansen about why there has been a decline in the number of foreign students attending U.S. universities.
• Zingerman's: Not Your Grandfather's Deli
  In 1982, Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig opened Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor, Mich. After 26 years, they have built an empire called Zingerman's Community of Businesses that <em>Inc.</em> magazine called "The Coolest Small Company in America." On Friday, Oprah Winfrey rated a sandwich from Zingerman's an amazing 11 out of 5.
• Cylcone Relief Teams Still on Standby in Thailand
  At least a million and a half people in Myanmar are in need of food and shelter. Aid teams are arriving slowly from Thailand, but many relief workers are still awaiting visas.
• Fragile Cease-Fire Takes Hold in Baghdad Slum
  A tenuous cease-fire is in place in Baghdad's Sadr City on Sunday. The Iraqi government and militia members loyal to the anti-American cleric Muqtadah Al-Sadr temporarily agreed to lay down arms. Fighting has been raging in the Shiite slum for the last six weeks, and more than 1,000 people have been killed.
• Letters: Fumarase, Primary, Autistic Son
  Listeners respond to stories about fumarase, a genetic disease afflicting children living in a polygamist community; commentaries on the primary process and clothes dryers; and Donald Rosenstein's "This I Believe" essay about his autistic son.
• Mail-In Vote Presents Challenges in Oregon
  Oregon is the only state that votes entirely by mail, which means Election Day lasts about two and a half weeks. Votes must be in for the Democratic presidential primary by May 20.
• Moms, Kids Play Role in Campaign Ads
  We play clips from recent presidential campaign ads, including ads featuring Sen. John McCain's 96-year-old mother; Chelsea Clinton talking about mom, Hillary; and kids urging their mothers to vote for Sen. Barack Obama.
• A Party Divided
  In her most recent posting to NPR's election blog, <em>Sunday Soapbox</em>, regular contributor Faye Anderson says the Democratic nomination process is beyond repair.
• W.Va. Demographics Favorable to Clinton
  West Virginia holds its Democratic presidential primary on Tuesday. Recent polls show Hillary Clinton with a wide lead over Barack Obama. Anna Sale of West Virginia Public Broadcasting talks with Liane Hansen about the upcoming primary.
• Mother's Day Founder Opposed Commercialization
  West Virginian Anna Jarvis founded Mother's Day 100 years ago today. Her original idea was to make it a "day of rest" for mothers. However, as the years of the celebration progressed, Jarvis became discouraged by the commercialization of the day.
• A Whiff of a New Cold War
  As relations between Russia and the United States have been heating up in the last several weeks, NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr wonders whether it may not be the start of a new mini-Cold War.